Manufacture of shoes and shoe soles



may 12, 193@ A, E; C HALL 2,040,131

MANUFACTURE OF SHOES AND SHOE SOLES Filled Dec.4 15,' 1954 Avi/@VWF mgm ze,

@QM Hum Patented May 12, 1936 UNITEDr STATES PATENT OFFICE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES AND SHOE SOLES `Alfred E. C. Hall, Webster Groves, Mo., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey This invention relates to improvements in methods of making shoes and to improvements in shoes and shoe soles as articles of manufacture. In preparing an outsole for direct attachment to a shoe by means of through-and-through stitching it is customary to form a channel and a channel flap along the marginal portion at the tread face side of the sole and subsequently to raise the flap thereby opening the channel to facilitate the reception of the stitches therein. AAfter the sole has been stitched to the shoe the raised channel flap is laid to cover the stitches.

4 While Vthis practiceis effective for the purpose of covering and protecting the stitches, the stitches form a ridge in the channel which is liable to produce a corresponding ridge in the outer surface ofthe channel iiap, thus detracting from the finished appearance of the shoe bottom. Such a ridge in the channel ap may be flattened out by rubbing or sanding operations, but the latter -frequently result in mutilating more or less the surface of the sole and in that way detracting from its appearance in the nished shoe. In some cases a shallow Vstitch-receiving groove is :formed in the channel into which the stitches are `laid-flush with the inner side of the channel but yin` such instances depressions are liable to be formed in the material ofthe channel ilap where -thelatter is forced into the spaces between the `stitches by the flap laying or leveling pressures.

lOne object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned undesirable conditions fin the manufacture of shoes of the above-mentioned and other types and to insure that the outsole-attaching stitches shall be concealed in such a manner that their presence will not be discernible in any way upon the tread surfaceof the outsole. Y

With this object in view the invention, in one aspect, provides an improvement in methods of .making shoes which consists in cutting marginal channels forming outer and inner channel flaps, raising said flaps to open said channels, securing said outsole to the shoe by means of stitches laid in said inner channel, laying said inner channel ap to overlie and conceal said stitches, and covering that portion of said inner nap which `overlies said stitches by means of said outer iiap. `The invention is herein ,illustrated in its application to the manufacture of shoes of the type wherein an insole, an upper, and an outsole are directly Asecured together by through-and-through stitching. After the stitching operation has been completed and the inner flap has been laid over the stitches, this flap may be rubbed or otherwise treated to hatten out any ridges which may have been produced therein by the stitches so that after the outer flap has been laid there will be no visual indication of the presence of the stitches. If desired, such rubbing of the inner channel flap may be rendered unnecessary by providing the inner channel with a stitch-receiving groove wherein the stitches will lie substantially ush with the bottomrof the channel. In such instances the outer ap will entirely cover the inner flap and thus effectively cover and conceal any depressions or irregularities which may be formed in the inner flap where the latter may have been pressed into the needle holes formed by the stitching operation.

Considered in another aspect, invention is to be recognized as residing in a shoe of. the type referred to comprising an outsole having outer and inner channels forming, respectively, outer and inner channel flaps, an insole, an upper having its margin interposed between the insole and the outsole, and stitches lying in said inner channel and extending through the outsole, the upper and the insole, the stitches being covered by the inner flap and the inner flap being, in turn, entirely covered by the outer flap.

In still another aspect invention is to be recognized as residing in an improved outsole for such shoes which, as herein illustrated, is provided with a marginal channel having a stitch-receiving groove formed therein, a channel flap formed by said channel and adapted to cover stitches laid in said groove, and a second channel flap formed by a marginal channelcut in the tread surface of the sole and adapted to cover entirely the rst channel flap.

The invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View of a shoe sole prepared in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a shoe illustrating particularly the manner in which the outer and inner channels in the outsole are opened to prepare for the stitching of the sole to the shoe;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the completed shoe; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a sole illustrating an alternative formation of -the channels and channel flaps.

In preparing a sole, such as the outsole 8, in accordance with my invention, as herein illustrated, the outsole is channeled to provide therein an outer or upper marginal channel l0 and an 1 inner or lower channel I2, the channel I forming an outer or upperI channel flapy I4 and the channel I2 forming an inner or lower channel flapl I6. The outer channel I0 may be conveniently formed by cutting inwardly and downwardly from the grain or tread surface of the outsole near the edge of the sole while the inner channel I2 is cut in the bottom of the outer channel, the inner channel sloping transversely downward and outward with respect to the outer channel. As illustirated in Fig. 1, the inner channel I2 is formed with a stitch-receiving groove I8 adapted to receive the outsole-attaching stitches in substantially flush relation to the bottom surface of the channel. In cases where it is desired to reduce the thickness of the sole edge that result may advantageously be attained by beveling the sole along the marginal portion of its attaching surface as indicated at 20.

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 4, the outer channel and the outer flap may be formed by means of a slit |00 cut in the edge of the sole while the inner channel may be so formed that it will slope transversely downward and inward with respect to the slit IDU, as shown at |46. A stitch-receiving groove need not necessarily be provided in the inner channel and no such groove has been provided in the construction shown in Fig. 4.

After having been prepared as shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 4 the outsole is laid and preliminarily secured in place upon the bottom of a shoe in a customary manner. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a shoe adapted to receive the outsole 8 may comprise an insole 22 and upper materials 24 the margns of which have been secured in overlasted relation to the insole by means of lasting fastenings, such as the staples 26.

Before the outsole is permanently secured by .stitches to the shoe the outer and inner channels I6 and I2 must be opened by raising the outer Vand inner naps I4 and I6. Advantageously these flaps may be raised into upstanding positions substantially as indicated in Fig. 2 by the action of a suitably constructed flap-raising memn ber or plow which may be provided for that purpose in a sole sewing machine of the type adapted to secure a sole to a shoe by means of throughand-through stitches, the glow being arranged to open the channels in advance of the sewing instrumentalities. The outsole is herein shown as being attached to the shoe by means of lock stitches 30 which are received in the groove I8 in the .inner channel I6 and extend through the overlasted margins of the upper materials 24 and through the insole 22. Such sewing of the outsole may be accomplis-hed by means of a sewing machine of the typ-e disclosed, for example, in United States Letters Patent No. 1,827,321, vgranted October 13, 1931, upon application of B. T. Leveque. It should be understood, however, that if desired chain stitches may be employed instead of lock stitches for attaching the sole to the shoe. Because of the fact that the margin of the outsole has been reduced or beveled upon its attaching side the stitches will draw the Sole margin against the upper so that a desired tight or close edge effect will be produced all the way around the shoe.

At the completion of the outsole-stitching operation the inner channel flapl I6 will be laid to cover the stitches, as shown in Fig. 3, a suitable cement having preferably been rst applied within the channel I2 for the purpose of securing the flap I 6 inplace. If ridges or irregularities appear on the outer surface of the iiapl I6 after the latter has been laid the flap may be subjected to a rubbing or bufng operation for the purpose df smoothing out or leveling these ridges or irregularities. Thereafter, the outer channel flap I4 over the inner flap I6 is laid and preferably is secured in place by means. of cement applied within the outer channel I0. Such ridges or irregularities as may be present in the inner flap I6 and any marks such as may have been produced thereon by the rubbing or hurling operation will, of course, be entirely covered and concealed by the outer flap. If, as shown in Fig. 1, a stitchreceiving groove has been provided Within the inner channel, there may be no such ridges or irregularities in the flapl I6 as could be effectively removed by performing a rubbing or bufiing operation thereon and in such a case, of course, no such operation will be necessary. In such a case, however, the outer iiap will serve to cover and conceal any such depressions as may have been formed in the inner flapK above the needle holes as a result of the pressure applied to the inner flap while it was being laid or while the shoe was being leveled. The sole-attaching stitches being covered and protected by both inner and outer channel ilaps, it will be. evident that even if the outer flap becomes entirely worn away as the shoe is worn the stitches will still be covered and protected from wear by the inner ap.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in cutting outer and inner marginal channels in an outsole thereby forming outer and inner channel iiaps, raising said flaps to open said channels, securing said outsole to a shoe by means of stitches laid in said inner channel, laying said inner channel flap to overlie said stitches, and covering that portion of said inner flap which overlies said stitches by means of said outer iiap.

2, That improvement in the art of making shoes of the type wherein an insole, an upper, and an outsole are directly secured together by through-and-through stitching which consists in fitting an outsole to provide therein a stitchreceiving channel having inner and outer channel iiaps, laying the outsole upon a lasted shoe and thereafter raising said iiaps to open .said channel, removing the last, securing said outsole to the upper and the insole of the shoe by means of stitches laid in said channel, covering .said stitches by means of said inner flap., and therevafter covering said inner flap completely bymeans of said outer ap.

3. That improvement in the art of making shoes of the type wherein an insole, an upper, and an outsole yare directly secured together yby through-and-through stitching which consists in tting an outsole to provide therein a stitchreceiving channel having inner and outer channel flaps, raising said flaps to open .said channel, securing said outsole to the upper and the insole of the shoe by means of stitches laid in said channel, laying said inner flap to cover said stitches, rubbing said iiap to smooth out any ridges produced therein by said stitches, and entirely covering said inner flap by means of said outer nap.

4. A shoe comprising an outsole having outer and inner channels forming, respectively, outer and inner channel flaps, an insole, an upper having its margin interposed between the insole and the outsole, and through-and-through stitches lying in said inner channel and extending through the outsole, the upper and the insole, said stitches being covered by said inner ilap and said inner flap being, in turn, entirely covered by said outer flap.

5. A shoe comprising an insole, an upper having its margin disposed in overlasted relation to the insole, an outsole having a marginal stitchreceiving channel and inner and outer channel flaps, the margin of the outsole being reduced at its attaching side, and outsole-attaching stitches received in said channel and extending through the overlasted upper margin and through the insole, said stitches being covered by said inner flap and said inner flap being covered entirely by said outer flap.

6. A shoe comprising an insole, an upper having its margin disposed in overlasted relation to the insole, an outsole having a peripherallyextending channel forming an outer channel flap, a second peripherally-extending channel sloping transversely inwardly and away from said irst channel and forming an inner channel ap, and outsole-attaching stitches received in said second channel and extending through the overlasted upper margin and through the insole, the portions j of said stitches which lie in said channel being covered by said inner flap and said inner ilap, in turn, covered by said outer flap.

7. A shoe comprising an insole, an upper, an outsole provided with outer and inner channels forming, respectively, outer and inner channel flaps adjacent to the tread surface of the sole, and outsole-attaching stitches received in said inner channel and extending substantially perpendicular to the tread surface of the outsole, said stitches being covered by said inner ap and said inner ap being entirely covered by said outer flap.

8. An outsole for a shoe of the type wherein an insole, an upper, and an outsole are directly secured together by through-and-through stitching, said outsole having an outer marginal channel cut in the tread surface of the sole and forming an outer channel flap, and a stitch-receiving channel cut in the inner side of said outer channel and forming an inner channel nap adapted to cover stitches laid in said inner channel and to be, in turn, covered by said outer channel ap.

9. An outsole provided with a marginal channel having a stitch-receiving groove, a channel flap for covering stitches laid in said groove, and

a second channel flap constructed and arranged to cover entirely the rst channel flap.

10. An outsole for a shoe of the type wherein an insole, an upper, and an outsole are directly secured together by through-and-through stitching having a peripherally-extending stitch-receiving channel forming an inner channel flap adapted to cover stitches received in said channel, and a second peripherally-extending channel forming an outer ilap at the tread side of the sole adapted to cover entirely said inner flap, said outsole having its edge reduced in thickness only at its attaching side.

11. A shoe sole having a perpherally-extending channel forming an outer channel iiap, and a second peripherally-extending channel sloping transversely inwardly and away from said rst channel and forming an inner channel flap adapted to cover stitches laid in said second channel and to be, in turn, covered entirely by said outer nap.

ALFRED E. C. HALL. 

